Push Those Points to the Limit!
After leaving Li Family Manor, Shangguan Yun and the two women traveled in silence.
Night lay heavy beyond the car windows. Shangguan Yan sat in the back seat, clutching the Divorce Letter so tightly her knuckles had turned white.
"Dad, are we just going to let this go?"
Shangguan Yun said nothing. He drove on, his face livid.
Shangguan Yan gritted her teeth. "That worthless Li Yao—what gives him the right? Who does he think he is?"
"Enough," Shangguan Yun said coldly. "We'll talk when we get home."
The car headed toward the Western Territory.
Three hours later, it stopped before the gates of a sprawling residence.
Shangguan Yun got out and strode inside.
Shangguan Yan and Qing Yinyin followed, neither daring to say another word.
Shangguan Yun reached the rear courtyard and stopped before a stone door.
He turned to Shangguan Yan and Qing Yinyin. "Go get some rest."
Qing Yinyin nodded and led Shangguan Yan away.
Only after they had gone did Shangguan Yun turn and push open the stone door.
Behind it stretched a long passage. Night-Shining Pearls were set into the walls on either side, casting a dim glow.
Shangguan Yun entered, and the stone door slowly closed behind him. At the end of the passage lay a secret chamber.
The chamber had no windows. A few oil lamps hung on the walls, their yellow light falling over two figures.
Two elderly men sat cross-legged, both white-haired and deeply wrinkled. They looked as though they might be buried any day now.
But Shangguan Yun knew better. One was his father, Shangguan Nu; the other was Lin Chen of the Lin Family, an old friend of the Shangguan Family. Both were genuine Martial Emperor Realm powerhouses.
"Father. Uncle Lin."
Shangguan Yun bowed.
Shangguan Nu slowly opened his eyes. "How did it go?" he asked, his voice hoarse.
"The engagement is broken," Shangguan Yun said. "We didn't make a spectacle of it, so no one knows."
Shangguan Nu gave a grunt and looked toward the old man opposite him. "Old Lin, are you certain the information is true?"
The old man opened his eyes too. His gaze burned as he looked straight at Shangguan Nu. "Brother Shangguan, do you think I'd joke about this?"
Old Lin's voice was calm, but his certainty was unmistakable.
"My spy reports that Li Fuhai was gravely wounded in his last battle with the Demon Saint. He's a spent arrow. He won't live another three months."
A smile tugged at Shangguan Nu's lips. "Once Li Fuhai dies, only Li Zhiyun will remain. Together, we can kill him as easily as reaching out and grabbing him."
Lin Chen smiled faintly. "That's why I said there's no rush."
Shangguan Yun's heart jolted at what he was hearing.
"Father, you mean... you're going to move against the Li Family?"
Shangguan Nu glanced at him with a trace of contempt. "What? Afraid?"
Shangguan Yun lowered his head. "The Li Family has defended the nation for three generations. If we act rashly, I'm afraid we'll provoke public outrage."
"Public outrage?" Shangguan Nu sneered. "Once Li Fuhai is dead and Li Zhiyun falls, who will the Li Family have left? That worthless Li Yao?"
Shangguan Yun fell silent.
Lin Chen cut in. "Brother Shangguan, your grandson and granddaughter are still young. Don't let them get mixed up in this."
Shangguan Nu waved a hand. "Don't worry. I know what I'm doing."
He paused, then added, "But don't let word of Li Fuhai's injuries get out yet. We move once his death is confirmed."
Shangguan Yun nodded. "Yes, Father."
Shangguan Nu looked at Lin Chen again. "Old Lin, is your spy reliable?"
Old Lin smiled. "Brother Shangguan, when have I ever done anything I wasn't sure of?"
"My spy is one of Li Fuhai's trusted aides. He's been at his side for twenty years. The information is absolutely reliable."
Shangguan Nu nodded and pressed no further.
"All right, you can go," Shangguan Nu told Shangguan Yun. "Remember, don't mention what happened today to anyone."
"Yes, Father."
Shangguan Yun bowed and withdrew from the chamber. The stone door closed again, leaving only Shangguan Nu and Lin Chen inside.
Shangguan Nu shut his eyes, as if pondering something.
Lin Chen watched him. "What? Still have doubts?"
"No." Shangguan Nu opened his eyes. "It just feels a little too easy."
"Isn't that a good thing?" Lin Chen smiled. "Once Li Fuhai dies and Li Zhiyun falls, we'll take control of the leadership. Then everything under heaven will belong to the Lin Family and the Shangguan Family."
Shangguan Nu did not answer. After a moment's silence, he said, "Old Lin, are you certain Li Fuhai really won't live another three months?"
"Certain," Old Lin said. "My spy says the Demon Saint pierced his Dantian in their last battle. His Spiritual Qi has been leaking away ever since, and he's already fallen to the Martial King Realm."
"The Martial King Realm?" Shangguan Nu raised an eyebrow. "He used to be a Martial Saint."
"So what if he was?" Old Lin sneered. "With his Dantian pierced and his Spiritual Qi draining away, surviving three months would already be a miracle."
Shangguan Nu nodded and asked nothing more.
"All right. Get some rest. We'll discuss what comes next tomorrow."
Old Lin grunted, closed his eyes, and resumed cultivating.
Shangguan Nu closed his eyes as well, but the smile never left his lips.
Meanwhile, at Li Family Manor.
Li Yao sat cross-legged on his bed. Spiritual Qi coursed through his body, and fine sweat beaded on his brow.
He had cultivated for six straight hours without stopping once since activating the technique.
"Ding! Host's cultivation progress: 5%."
At the system's prompt, Li Yao opened his eyes and let out a long breath of turbid air.
"What the hell? Only 5%?"
He was speechless. Six hours of cultivation had raised it by just 4%. "Is the Nine-Turn Profound Art really this hard to cultivate?"
"Host, Heaven-Rank Cultivation Techniques are difficult to cultivate. It is recommended that you keep practicing every day. Small gains add up."
Li Yao curled his lip.
"System, isn't there some way to speed this up?"
"Yes, Host. You can spend Background Value to max out your cultivation progress in the Nine-Turn Profound Art."
"..."
Li Yao stared blankly. Wait, I could cheat this whole time? Why didn't you say so earlier? You made me stay up all night cultivating!
"Hold on, System. If you can max it out, why didn't you tell me sooner?"
"You didn't ask, Host."
The system sounded as though that were the most obvious thing in the world.
Li Yao fought down the urge to strangle it.
"System, you bastard."
"Host, this system has no uncle."
"..."
Li Yao was at a loss. This system was just like Doubao—a thoroughly artificial idiot.
If there was a shortcut, only a ghost would choose to cultivate night after night.
"System, max out my cultivation progress in the Nine-Turn Profound Art."
"Ding! Host, please confirm whether you wish to spend 95,000 Background Value to cultivate the Nine-Turn Profound Art."
"How much?!"
Li Yao nearly leaped to his feet in fury.
"System, you're really ripping me off? It only cost 50,000 Background Value to exchange for it, but maxing out its cultivation progress costs a hundred thousand?"
"Please mind your language, Host. This system said 95,000. Fair prices for young and old alike."
"Isn't that 5,000 discount only because I cultivated the first 5% myself? You damn rip-off."
"Ding! Host, you may also choose to raise your cultivation progress to 75% first."
"You're unbelievable, System. You won't stop until you've squeezed me dry, will you?"
"This system does not understand what you mean, Host."
Li Yao looked as though the expense physically hurt.
"Raise it... to 75%, then..."
"Ding! Host has agreed. Cultivation commencing: 5%... 25%... 75%."
"Cultivation complete. Please check the results, Host."
The system's voice had barely faded when Li Yao felt a profound, indescribable power fill his entire body.
He hurriedly sat cross-legged, absorbing that power as he began pushing for a breakthrough.
Middle Third Rank... high Third Rank... Fourth Rank...
The Martial Master's First through Ninth Ranks were each divided into low, middle, and high grades. Breaking through from the high grade took a cultivator to the next rank.
Li Yao's talent was top-tier, too. In the aptitude test five years ago, he had been found to possess a Heaven-Grade Spirit Root.
If he had devoted himself to cultivation, he might have been a Ninth Rank Martial Master by now, perhaps even a Martial Venerable.
But the man had neglected his cultivation to fawn over Yang Xiaoran. Not only had he given her every cultivation resource the Lineage allotted him, he had also used his status as the eldest son to draw resources from the Lineage for the Yang Family.
He had made no progress at all in three years.